Just A Little Touch (Can Get You Through The Day)
by PhoebeSnow
Summary: Normally, when you find a drunk man by the side of the road, he doesn't end up changing your life. But Effie never suspected Haymitch to be anything other than ordinary. Collab with Zulera301!
1. First Meeting

Effie hummed to the Carly Simon song playing on the radio. She was pretty tired coming back from the meeting at Miss Kiss, the magazine she'd been working as design editor for the past two years. Said meeting had gone a bit longer than she would've liked, but at least she'd be home before midnight.

When she was about ten minutes away from her apartment, she spied a large lump on the side of the road ahead. There were no other cars behind her, so Effie slowed her speed and rolled the glass down on the passenger side. The lump seemed to be a person resting on the ground.

"Hey! Are you alright?"

The lump of a man stirred at the sound of a voice, and it was clear from the way he grumbled incoherently that he was intoxicated-to make an understatement. "I ain't done nothin', officer..." he grumbled. "Nothin' illegal about having a few drinks if I ain't drivin..." The groggy tone of his voice coupled with the slurs indicated that he may not have been quite as incoherent as he was coming off; but being drunk and "'just woke up' syndrome" were definitely two states of being that did not work well together.

Effie frowned. A wave of sympathy and irritation ran through her and she tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. "He probably needs help." She moved her car to the side of the road and parked. Her high heels clacked on the pavement as she came near the man. "It may not be illegal to drink alcohol, but in this state, you could have rolled into the street. I don't think you'd appreciate being run over."

The man grunted and muttered something barely intelligible, but that ended with a nod. "I ain't too far from here..." he slurred. "Just a few more steps and I'd be on the straight 'n narrow again..." His blurry vision saw two or three rather cute women in front of them though, all dressed the same. Maybe he was more drunk than he thought?

"So wait..." he muttered. "What are ya suggestin'?" He might have been drunk, but he had at least some standards, and fortunately he did not make any unwanted moves or anything so wild.

Effie scoffed at his words. Did he think she was some cheap tart? Although the man wasn't bad to look at, she still rolled her eyes. "I can assure you I'm not looking to be debauched by a drunken man. That would be highly unethical, but if you're certain that you live close by, I can take you home."

"I ain't gonna do anythin'..." he grunted. "I'm drunk, not sleazy..." He paused for a moment as if trying to remember where he lived. "But yeah, I just live right close by...a couple streets down and then turn right...and I think, left? It's a big apartment complex..." He threw off a few extra details about it, all of which would sound very familiar to Effie, and although his instructions were quite far off the mark, she was certain they lived in the same building.

"Name's Haymitch, by the way." He at least remembered that much about himself in his intoxicated state.

Haymitch - what an odd name - seemed to be a man of some competence, so she decided to trust him. "I'm Effie, but I'm sure you'll probably forget that in the morning. It's a lucky thing that we live in the same complex. You must be the new tenant who moved down the hall from me."

"Yeah, I only moved in a couple weeks ago," he grunted as he slowly got to his feet.

"I see," Effie replied.

She helped Haymitch up and put an arm around his back while grabbing his own. He would definitely fail the straight line test, but it seemed the more he started moving, the more alert he became, as if his drunkenness had been exacerbated by this grogginess. There was no telling how long he had been asleep, after all.

Haymitch staggered only once between getting up and reaching the car, although seeing this woman - Effie's - choice of attire had him curious about her.

"You just get back from a fancy do or something?" That was as close to small talk as he'd be able to muster unless he sobered a little.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to tell him. "I was at an editorial meeting for the magazine where I work. I didn't have to dress up, but I like doing it." She rolled her eyes as she added, "People think I'm a snob because of that."

"Hm, makes sense." He himself would not likely look too bad if he spent a moment cleaning up, which might require significantly more sobriety. "Nothin' wrong with that..." He had a thing for sharp-dressed women anyways, and didn't see anything wrong with that bias. "I've been out of a job a bit too long. Maybe indulged a bit too much in my self-pity." He cracked a hollow laugh at his own remark, before falling silent again.

Effie glanced at Haymitch in empathy as she helped him get into the car. Once he was securely inside, she got in on the driver's side and closed the door. "But if you've been out of a job, how were you able to move into a new place? Capitol Apartments aren't exactly cheap." Effie glanced at his shaggy frame, the wheels turning in her brain. "Don't tell me, you gamble."

"Downsized," Haymitch grunted as he got comfortable. "I've got money to last a while, and since it's just me, I've got nothing better to waste it on but my own wants."

Ouch. Downsizing was one of the worst things that could happen to a person in this hard, competitive town. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, well it's no use to go on about it now. How about you? You got a family or something?" His tone was gruff, but it didn't appear that he was trying to sound accusatory.

Oh, dear. This was a question that she heard all too often. Effie sighed and tapped the steering wheel. "No. I'm single, never been married. Except to my job, I guess. I know that's considered pathetic, but it's the truth."

"A job's a better spouse than alcohol," Haymitch quipped in response. He admired a work ethic; perhaps from being out of work for as much time as he had been, or perhaps not.

Effie forced herself not to snort at that quip. He had a point, though. She'd definitely take her job over alcohol any day - of course, she did occasionally drink a glass of wine or two, but never enough to impair her judgment.

"Oh, and I do gamble now and again - nothing too common though," he added with a shrug, not wanting her to think he had dodged the question or anything. He was generally fairly droll and sarcastic, but not so much a liar - especially not when drunk.

"That's good. I actually play a bit of poker with my parents every Saturday. We don't play for cash, but my dad needed someone else who liked cards, which is why he taught me. I owe my shuffling skills to him." Effie didn't know why she was telling Haymitch personal information about her like this. He probably wouldn't even remember her name tomorrow.


	2. Neighbors

Haymitch was surprisingly resilient, and his drunken stupors often lent him more recollection than one would think - but time would tell how much he recalled. "Hey...you and I should get together for a poker night sometime...y'know, when I'm less drunk." He wasn't envisioning anything fancy, but he did enjoy poker...even if clothes stayed on.

Those manicured eyebrows rose in surprise. She wasn't expecting him to suggest that they see each other again. After all, they hardly knew each other. But playing poker would be a nice, neighborly thing to do, right? "I don't know if we should. I'm liable to wipe the floor with you." Okay, so she was being a little cocky, but she was _very good_ at poker.

Haymitch laughed. "Yeah, those womanly charms will have that effect sometimes..." That might have been the alcohol talking, but as his vision started to clear, he did realize she was easy on the eyes. "Eh, if I lose, I lose. We don't have to bet anything if you don't want to." He had remembered that much from her remarks a few seconds earlier. Go him!

Effie felt a blush coming on as he flirted with her. Haymitch wasn't bad looking and the fact that he remembered that she said she didn't play poker for money? That was a mark in his favor. "Why not? I could use another person to play against besides my parents. You've got a deal, Haymitch."

"Heh..." Haymitch looked pleased by this development as well. "Got a particular date in mind, or should I just saunter on over after I've sobered up?" Since he was still unemployed at the moment he had all the time in the world, so if she had the time, so did he.

"Come by tomorrow at noon. I don't have to work for the next two days, so that's as good a time as any. I'm sure you'll be sober enough then and I'll even make lunch for us." Effie had no recollection of the last time she had a date and she'd been thinking about having some fun. This opportunity fell into her lap, so she would happily go with it.

"It's a date then," was Haymitch's way of responding to this proposal, and it was fine with him as well, funnily enough. It wasn't like he had any other relationships these days besides alcohol, and he was pretty sure he could still bring a flask of it to ease his nerves-or just to sate his addiction. He didn't exactly think Effie was going to bring him any harm, and he certainly had no intention of doing anything of the sort. But even drunk, this sounded fun.

Moments later, they came up to Capitol Apartments and Effie turned her car into the residents' parking space.

Haymitch glanced around. "Hey, yeah, this is where I live!" A drunken revelation, but a revelation nonetheless.

Effie laughed again, finding it rather pleasant that she was apt to do so often around him. Haymitch was cute in his drunken kind of way and it suited him well. Once she parked, she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Oh, if my drunken memory fails me, feel free to come banging on my door to get my attention." Not that he would deliberately be late, but he didn't want to make her think he had stood her up or anything, if, in the event that he was hungover or slept in or what have you.

"Great. Ah, do you need me to help you into the building or can you manage?"

Haymitch took a moment to gauge his situation, undoing his seatbelt and opening the door. "Lemme see..." He grunted for a moment, said grunting becoming fairly loud as he pulled himself to his feet slowly. He knew better than to get up right away.

"I...think I got it...thanks though, sweetheart." While normally he used that term rather sarcastically, this time there was at least a little bit of truth to it, for he appreciated her offer. She nodded and exited the driver's seat, shutting the door.

"Hey, that reminds me, which one's your apartment number again?" He wasn't sure if they were neighbors in the sense of living in the same complex, or neighbors in the literal sense of living next door to one another.

Once he was out, she pressed the button on her keys, locking the vehicle. "Oh! Right. We can't play poker if you don't know where I live. I'm in apartment 261, down the hall from you, actually. We've probably never met because I always leave early for work."

"Huh... almost literal neighbours then." Haymitch chuckled. "264, as you might have figured from hearing about the move-in...and yeah. I'm almost never up before 11 unless it's an emergency..." He didn't feel the need to go into detail as to what "emergencies" they were; suffice to say, he was more of a late sleeper.

"I envy you. Sleeping in is something I only get to do on the weekends and even then, I still might be called to the office." She rolled her eyes. "The life of a working woman, huh?"

Haymitch chuckled. "Hey, I admire that," he admitted honestly as he walked with her, "The lazy life's fun for a while, but then you start to realize you kinda wanna do something with your life. Well, besides drinking, at any rate." He laughed dryly.

"How true. Being a magazine editor has its ups and down like any job, but I do enjoy it all the same." When they came to the front door, Haymitch opened it for Effie and she thanked him before resuming her normal pace. "So what's your favorite drink? Bourbon? Whiskey?"

He nodded to acknowledge her remark, and upon hearing her question, he chuckled. "Whiskey's a fantastic go-to, although it depends on the situation. A fine wine never hurt though, if that's your thing." He might have to treat her to something like that one of these days. It was by no means love at first sight, but Haymitch could see himself becoming friends with Effie fairly easily if her current act wasn't a facade (his certainly wasn't).

He definitely took her as a "fine wine" kind of woman, if her clothes, demeanour, and the way she carried herself were any indicators. Not that there was anything bad about that. As long as she didn't try to part him and his whiskey flask, he wouldn't judge.

"Oh, I agree. Wine is quite heavenly. Whenever I drink alcohol, it's usually Pinot or Chardonnay, but I like trying other wines too. I know champagne is a favorite of many, but it's far too bubbly for me. Whiskey, on the other hand...I first drank whiskey at a party in college and had my first experience getting drunk among other things." Effie tsked. She could remember that night as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.

Haymitch's eyebrow was raised and a small, intrigued smirk was on his lips. "Sounds like an interesting story," he replied.

"It is. But also a long one. I'll tell you when we have our poker night."

Haymitch laughed. "Alright, but, don't feel compelled to drink whiskey if you're not a fan." He quipped, "That just means more for me." Kicking the habit, he figured, was out of the question-but normally he didn't get so trashed that he would pass out by the side of the road. That alone was a story, and not just because of his new acquaintance.

Effie laughed - again! - at Haymitch's joke. He really was a easy going kind of guy and she liked that he wasn't afraid to make fun of himself. Soon, they reached her apartment and Effie took her keys out, unlocking the door. She stepped inside and turned to face Haymitch again.

"So...tomorrow 'round noon, then?"

"Mmhm. It's a date. Goodnight." Effie gave him a little wave and went inside. Once she closed the door, she turned on the small lamp by the table and dropped her keys in a decorative bowl. Effie couldn't stop herself from smiling as she went to her bedroom. She actually had a date!

After a rather unpleasant incident that had left Haymitch scarred and alone, he figured he was just going to spend the rest of his days married to alcohol and alone. And yet, here he was, set up for a date - and with a looker, no less. His inner 'primal man' did imagine what Effie looked like under that sharp outfit of hers, but ultimately, that was just his drunken mind fantasizing. He dragged himself to his bedroom, kicked off his shoes and slumped onto the bed, passing out ramarkably fast, and happier than he'd been in a while.

Effie changed for bed with a pep in her step. If only her mother could see her now! The blonde hummed a melody as she put her hair up in a bun and swiveled her hips from side to side. She paused to look at her reflection through her standing mirror.

"Things are coming around for you, Ms. Trinket." Winking at herself one last time - okay, she was _really_ excited about that date - she then turned off her bedroom light and climbed into bed, making herself comfortable underneath the warm blanket. _Who knows?_ She thought. _Maybe I'll even get a kiss tomorrow._ Effie wasn't easy by any means, but she noticed the approving glances Haymitch had sent her way. There was definitely a mutual attraction.

For the first time in a while, Haymitch's "drifting-off" thoughts were happy ones, and he slept rather soundly.


	3. The Date

11:37. Haymitch didn't miss the scheduled time and had enough time to shower and get cleaned up. If Effie was okay with him looking and smelling like a drunken slob when they first met, he didn't think he'd need to dress as sharply as she did. Still...he'd look decent; slacks, a button-up shirt; that sort of thing.

Given men and their uncanny ability to get showered and ready for an event at the last minute, he finished with 7 minutes to spare, during which time, he grabbed a bite to eat and filled his flask as he headed out the door and down the hall to Effie's apartment - ultimately being about 2 minutes early.

When Effie woke up at 8:30 in the morning, she sprang into action, cleaning and arranging her bathroom, bedroom, living room and kitchen. By the time she finished, it was 11:29 and she managed to take a quick shower.

In ten minutes, she was refreshed and in the kitchen once more, making sandwiches for herself and Haymitch - she thanked her lucky stars that she bought lunch meat and condiments two days ago. At 11:58, there was a knock on Effie's door and she literally squealed, jumping out of her seat. "Get ahold of yourself, woman. You're not a teenager." The blonde patted down her soft blue dress and yes, she pushed up her cleavage. She didn't have an abundance of it, but she still had a shapely form.

As Haymitch waited for her to answer his knock, he hoped that she didn't expect him to bring anything in particular. Not that he was unwilling to; but if she asked him to last night, he'd completely forgotten. He did remember his hip flask though; more just to give him a loosening buzz rather than drink himself into stupidity like he had last night.

Haymitch's posture was still not spectacular, but he looked and smelled much better. His long hair was still lank, but it seemed that washing it kept it in check. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to answer the door, figuring she was probably worrying about this or that final touch that truthfully wouldn't have bothered him, but that he might likely appreciate if he noticed.

Effie took a deep breath and opened the door to see Haymitch standing on the other side. "Come in!" He gave her a small smile in return and walked into her apartment. Effie closed the door and locked it, stopping briefly to take a nice leisurely look at Haymitch's attire. He had clearly gotten cleaned up and Effie liked what she saw.

Haymitch's slacks and button up shirt were very becoming and she bit her lip, feeling her cheeks warm. He was even better looking than she thought! And that backside...oh, lord. _Don't even go there, Effie. He's a human being, not your lunch._

She shook her head, pushing away those lascivious feelings. Haymitch was now facing her with a curious expression on his face as his lips moved. Oh! He just asked her something and thanks to her dirty mind, she hadn't heard him clearly. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

If there was one benefit to Haymitch's slight paranoia, it was that he was very attentive, particularly to details. He could tell, much to his amusement, that Effie was looking him over, and while he had done the same last night, looking her over while (mostly) sober was much more satisfying, and his eyes darted from the crown of her neatly-styled hair all the way down to the shoes on her feet. He muttered something, but it seemed he lacked subtlety, for she caught it.

"Just saying you look nice." He looked up and gave her an innocent smile. "I like your outfit." He also wanted to see her _out_ of said outfit, but was mature enough not to blurt that out - not this early, at any rate.

"Oh! Well, thank you. That's very kind of you to say. And you look very dashing, yourself." Effie led him to the kitchen where she'd put the cards on her table, along with a plate of sandwiches covered in a small towel.

"Thanks." He nodded in response to her compliment. "Sorry it ain't as nice as your getup, but I guess that's the woe of being a man." Sarcastic as he might have sounded, he meant it insomuch that he was by no means belittling her more formal-esque attire (and he definitely liked her heels). Women had far more options than men in the "looking pretty department", and Haymitch was okay with that, smirking as he watched her hips sway as he followed her into the next room.

Effie turned to him. "I have water, cream soda and there's cold beer in the fridge, so you can have whatever you want. "I was thinking that we should we eat and play at the same time. Or would you prefer to eat before or after?"

Haymitch answered in kind that he was fine with doing both simultaneously. "As long as you're fine with it, I am too. Ain't like we're putting our clothes on the line or anything." Whoops; that just slipped out. Although he made a save by putting a fitting poker face on - before taking a shot from his hip flask.

Effie stared at him for a minute, then threw her head back and started laughing. She covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed that she was being so loud. Once she settled down, she cleared her throat and went to the fridge, trying to appear serious. "Ah, you never said what you wanted to drink."

Laughter was contagious, and even Haymitch laughed, because of her reaction, but also from her laugh itself. "Right...just water for now." He cleared his throat. "Might tap into that beer a little later down the road if that's alright."

"Of course! And water it is." Effie grabbed two bottles and brought them back to the table. Haymitch was already seated and chewing a sandwich enthusiastically. Effie felt a rush of pride. "I made four sandwiches because I only need one, but I had no idea if you're a big meat lover or not. So I decided not to take any chances."

"Beautiful _and_ smart?" Haymitch quipped. "How are you still single?" As a man, of course he loved meat, and he would have no trouble ensuring that there were no leftover sandwiches on that plate when all was said and done. His question, while posed as a joke, was also somewhat curious. However, he was not going to pry if she felt it too personal to share. He, in turn, was not ready to divulge why he was single - not yet, anyway.

What Haymitch said was a variation of many different compliments Effie had been given over the years, but this time, it felt genuine. She put her sandwich on the paper plate in front of her and shrugged as she took a bite. "What can I say? I just never met the right guy. Add that to being a busy working girl and you get a lot of misses."

"Fair enough. Not like I can be talking either...so, hey. You wanna deal or should I?" His change of subject was not entirely coincidental, but he'd rather not kill the mood by bringing it up.

"Let me. I did say I wanted to show you my shuffling skills." A sly smile spread on Effie's face as she picked up the deck. Sure enough, she handled the cards like a professional at a casino. To Haymitch, witnessing her fingers move across the table as she shuffled the cards was like watching art. Clearly, her father was a great teacher.

Haymitch did watch with amusement indeed, raising an eyebrow at her deftness. He was faster than he looked, but he didn't have nearly such fancy fingerwork. he 'shuffled' cards not too unlike how children did when they played go-fish or other similar games.

"I know some people like to play poker and other card games online these days, but to me, nothing beats playing it in the flesh. It's more exciting."

"I can't help but agree," Haymitch chuckled in response to her remark. "It especially helps when you play against good-looking people." He smirked and leaned back. Whether he was talking about himself or her (or perhaps both of them) was deliberately left open to her interpretation.

"It seems like we're two of a kind, then. Because I was thinking the same thing." Effie winked at him.

Haymitch forgot how much he appreciated good company - because there was a fine and very important line between good company and bad company - or sometimes even unwanted company. The idea of advancing beyond friendship with Effie was not lost on him, although for her sake as well as his own, he thought they should take it a bit slower - or at the very least, test the waters first.

"On that note..." he added. "Just for fun, right? No bets or anything?" She could make of that what she would.

Effie began passing out the cards as he spoke and she listened intently. She understood what he was saying or more accurately, what he _didn't_ say. She hadn't experienced being in a relationship except for a brief period of time in high school and that was a disaster. So this was relatively new to her. He's handsome, he lives in your apartment complex and he definitely likes you, so those are all marks in his favor. "I think that's wise. No bets just yet. Taking it slow is a good idea."

"Yup, just like a strong drink." That was a comparison for his own sake, but despite he previous experiences in a relationship, Haymitch was glad she wanted to take it slow. He didn't want what happened to the last woman he had grown close to, happen to Effie. So he picked up his cards to take a look at them, developing the same (appropriate) poker face he made earlier. Nothing wrong with a bit of good clean fun.


End file.
